his237authorityfandomcom-20200215-history
The Imperial Church, 311AD to the Medieval Age
When Constantine became the sole Emperor of Rome, much changed for the church. When they were once persecuted and forced to meet in secret, the church was now granted protection by the state and allowed considerable freedoms as Rome gradually became a 'Christian Empire.' Many people and leaders still worshiped pagan gods, causing the Church to face division and pressure from within rather than persecution from the outside. Constantine's Effects on Christianity Constantine's influence on Christianity began with his first and second edicts that extended pardon to Christians and allowed the Church to practice its faith and gather together as long as the Church did not interfere with public order.Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity. (New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 2010), 124-126. Many Christians believed that Constantine was "the emperor whom God loved,"Ibid., 135. strengthening the bond between Constantine and the Church and setting Constantine up as a pesudo-saviour of Christianity. People were gracious for the time of relative political peace and prosperity. Constantine's own faith has been a matter of great debate for historians and scholars alike. During Constantine's reign, "he never placed himself under the direction of Christian teachers or bishops."Ibid., 138. He did keep several prominant Christians close to him as advisors, but by his own acclamation Constantine viewed himself as the supreme bishop of the Christian Church despite continued involvements in pagan rituals that went uncondemned by the bishops of the time. Gonzalez argues that despite these shortfalls, "Constantine was a sincere believer in the power of Christ... For him, the Christian God was a very powerful being who would support him as long as he favored the faithful."Ibid., 139. As long as Constantine acted in the best interest of the Church, allowing them to assemble, preach, baptize and build churches, he would remain favored by God. Gonzalez goes on to write "was a sincere man with a meager understanding of the Christian faith."Ibid. Eusebius of Nicomedia baptized Constantine shortly before his death. The Council of Nicea Once the Christian church was able to freely gather and was no longer facing persecution from the outside, it became clear that inside the church a great deal of fragmentation of teaching had occured. Eusebius became the Bishop of Caesarea several years before Constantine became the sole emperor, and after Constantine's edict Eusebius was given jurisdiction over the entire area of Palestine. Only a few years later Eusebius became aware of a deep theological debate that was spreading in the church known as Arianism. Arius, a student of Lucian in Antioch, believed that Jesus was a separate being created by God and denied both Jesus' divinity and humanity.G. C. Berkouwer, The Person of Christ, Studies in Dogmatics (Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1954), 61. In 325AD the Council of Nicea conveined to deal with this heretical teaching. At stake was the Church's established doctrine of the Trinity. Arianism was spreading through the church by virtue that many commoners considered it easier to understand. Eusebius and many other bishops from across the known world met together to discus this theology with Constantine presiding over the gathering of Bishops. Gonzalez, Christianity, 186-187. Many who were present did not have an official position on Arianism, but were rather more interested in the unity of the Church at a time when persecution had finally ended. There were new challenges and opportunities for the Church, rather than dealing with controversy. This changed when Eusebius of Nicomedia argued in favor of Arianism, and angered the majority of the bishops who were present. Ibid., 188. At the end of the council, the bishops agreed to put an end to Arianism, and those who refused to sign were declared heretical and excommunicated from the council. Constantine further added to the decree by declaring that the deposed bishops must leave their cities.Ibid., 190. Even though Constantine likely intended for this to prevent the bishops from spreading Arianism any further, the precident of a civil sentence for an ecclesiastical decision paved the way for greater ecclesiastical authority. The Council of Nicea serves as one of the greatest examples of church leadership. Here we had a gathering of leaders who came together to make a decision that would shape the doctrine of the Church in a profound way. In some ways this reflects back to the earlier Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 and the choosing of the seven administrators of Acts 6. Although across all research it does not appear that the Council of Nicea was as focused on any times of prayer, fasting, or petitioning the Holy Spirit, and instead convincing arguments was the main driving force. This further reinforces the transition in this era towards leadership by individuals and church bishops making decisions together. Bishops of the Imperial Church From the time of the Council of Nicea to the fall of the Roman empire, authority within the Church came largely from a series of prominent Bishops and theologians. These men all took the role of steering the church and guiding it in their own way. Prominent Bishops of this era include: *Athanasius of Alexandria (297-373AD). A central figure in the fight against Arianism, he was oficially exiled five times, and fled to the wilderness six more times for his own safety. Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, vol. 1, The Encyclopedia of Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI; Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 1999-2003), 150. *Ambrose of Milan, (339-397AD). Governor of northern Italy, when he came to Milan to resolve the conflcits between the Arians and the Catholics, both sides declared him to be the next bishop. Ambrose reluctantly agreed. He raised the importance of congregational singing and was an effective preacher. His greatest achievement was bringing about the end of official paganism in the Roman empire, and placing Emperor Theodosius under church discipline for the execution of several thousand people in Thessalonica. J. Newton, "Ambrose" In , in Who's Who in Christian History, ed. J.D. Douglas and Philip W. Comfort (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992), 21. *Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD). Bishop of Hippo Regius. After his conversion in August of 386 he became a presbyter and eventually a bishop. Augustine was a prolific writer and two of his books; Confessions and Retractions, are counted as Christian classics. Augustine also developed what is recored as the first organization devoted to the care of clergy members. Fahlbush and Bromiley, vol 1, The Encyclopedia of Christianity, 150. The End of the Roman Empire In the twilight of the fourth century and early in the fifth century Rome was falling to outside invaders. Alaric the Goth sacked Rome in 410 marking the turning point in the war that Rome would not recover from. The Church had enjoyed a century of protection and flourishment, and would now be faced with new chalenges as the various Germanic groups each settled in different portions of the land. (Continue to The Medieval Age: Rise of the Papacy) Works Cited